The Arizona sentinel., 1887-01-01
COMMUNICATED.
RAIaIN CULTURE.

O1CillS OuS SShlC luuuCCluSlI, UT WulCl is likely to render handsomeI incomes than that of raisin culture in Arizona In order ts make this business both pleasant and profitable, there will be several necessary qualifications, both of climate and soil, that will be re quirsd to obtain complete success.
 The soil in the first place must eith- CT have natural or artificial drainage (Soil sufficiently impregnated with sand or gravel, will be in measure self drainabls,) too much water or @ lack of it will work evil to a vine of the raisin family. There must be the proper amount of the right kind of plant food to sustain the vine &. it bears the fruit, these requirements when coupled on to climate dry and warm such as is found in Yuma covn- ty, Arizona, is home for the success ful culture and cure of raisins
 The soil of that section of Arizona is unusually large in the supply of plant food, making strong and healthy vines which produce large well filled punches of grapes.
 The drainage is natural; so termed by experts 10 be the most perfectly drained soil ir the Western Hem sphere.
 The remarkable early spring had there give the vine such a start ahead of other Pacific slope sections that fruit of nearly all varieties are ready for market from four to six weeks ahead of all other competitors, virtual ly giving Yuma county monopoly over such fruits during that period of time. The early springs together with the late falls gives the vines a much longer season of fruitage, resulting in two crops of raisins sure and some times as many as three crops are pick ed during one season. The first crop which is the main one, produces about 20 lbs. of undried raisin to the vine or about 5 lbs. of dried. The second crop about half the amount and the third about one fourth of the first crop. Now let one estimate the proceeds oi Yuma county raisin.
 The vines ars set out ten feet apart upon the quincunz plan, giving some 460 vines per acre which at 20 lbs of fresh grape per vine we get 72,0O0 lbs of good table grape from 10 acres of vines.
 Instead of drying these into raisins we will dispose of them to Eastern buyers at 10 cents per ID. delivered upon the ears at our nearest depot, on the s. P. R. R., thus saving the trou- ble and time required in the curing process. It must be remembered that fresh grapes at that season of the year season of the year sell readily by retail in all Eastern cities, at 25 cents per ID and even up to 60 and 70 cents. "A market which we could never fully supply.(
 The second and third crop we will dry into raisins, by simply bruising the stem of the bunch of grapes be tween the vine and fruit with pair of nippers which stops the blow of sap and causing it immediately to cure in to raisins. By this process, the dust or plush favorins substance that is formed upon all grapes is not bruised or subned of by handling the bunch and allows the cluster to retain all of the qualities that nature has supplied it with in order to render it, "a fruit fit for the Gods"
 The second and third crops we will estimate to boar jointly ono half of tho amount of the first or main crop which will give us for 10 acres 46,000 lbs, this we will dry into raisins, which will make II, ,25O lbs, at 5 cents per ID. in the balIz and would give S562.50; the first crop sold fresh, 92,000 lbs, at 10 cents, S9,20000; giving total result of $9, 762.50 for 10 acres from one crop of grapes, or of s976.25 per acre. If there is any other fruit busi ness, north, east, west or south that can beat this, we will lend anattentivs ear to its revelation and try to investi gate its worth.
 In our climate here there Is no sul- phering the grape to prevent mildsw, no need of traps needed to gather them ia for the purpose of drying, no cover ing them with oiled paper to keep of rain oy- daw m tnrniuo in the TrocaSS